Joe Biden Plans To Reverse Donald Trump's Anti-Abortion Global Gag Rule

[Judi Lynn]

Joe Biden Plans To Reverse Donald Trump's Anti-Abortion Global Gag Rule

BY HILARY WEAVER
JAN 23, 2021

One of Donald Trump's first moves as president in 2017 was to reinstate the Global Gag Rule—officially known as the Mexico City Policy. As ELLE reported then, the rule stripped "funding for family planning services and child health initiatives from organizations around the world that offer or even mention abortion services."

Per NPR, on Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci told the World Health Organization's executive board that President Joe Biden plans to revoke the Mexico City Policy "as part of his broader commitment to protect women's health and advance gender equality at home and around the world."

Under previous Republican administrations, the policy only applied to NGOs that receive family planning funds. But the Trump administration expanded it to apply to all organizations that receive any global health assistance from the U.S. This meant that maternal health initiatives, anti-Zika efforts, and HIV/AIDS work were also affected by the lack of federal funds. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the lack of funds additionally affected projects related to "nutrition, malaria, water and sanitation, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases."

In 2019, the Trump administration did further harm to those who receive healthcare through government funding. In February of that year, the administration first announced its plan to make it illegal for healthcare providers who receive federal funding to give patients referrals for abortions. As ELLE.com pointed out that year, the rule disproportionately affected women and families of color who rely on federally funded programs for their overall healthcare. One of the biggest consequences of this rule came when Planned Parenthood decided to leave the federal program rather than comply with the Trump administration's new restrictions.

More:
https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a35297766/joe-biden-reverse-trump-global-gag-rule/

Also posted in Editorials and other articles:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016285158

[Ohiogal]

1. GOOD.

[ShazzieB]

2. And the hits just keep on coming! 😁

Every day brings a new list of great things Biden's doing, and I am pleased as punch!

To Joe:

[TlalocW]

3. Hardly a surprise

Democratic president comes in, they get rid of it.
Republican president comes in, they reinstate it.

Just kind of surprised that it wasn't done on the first day.

TlalocW